Page 185 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

I smile faintly, but my attention drifts to the window. Through the glass, far below, I catch a glimpse of movement—Stone. His broad shoulders tense as he adjusts something near the corner of the house.

My stomach tightens as I watch him, the need simmering under my skin flaring hot and insistent. I try to push it away. It doesn’t ease.

“Hailey?” Finn’s voice pulls me back, and I turn to find him watching me. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly, though my voice wavers. “I just…I saw Stone.”

Finn follows my gaze to the window, his brow furrowing slightly. “Oh,” he says after a moment. “He’s probably doing yard work. He’s the one who takes care of the trees along the drive.”

I nod again, but I can tell even as Finn speaks that he doesn’t quite believe what he’s saying. He knows what I saw wasn’t just “yard work.” Stone’s been out there for hours now, and I’ve caught glimpses of Jax, too—walking the perimeter, checking the lights, moving equipment I don’t recognize.

Something’s going on.

But I don’t say anything. Instead, I pull my gaze from the window and focus on the pillow in my hands, running my fingers over the soft fabric. The sensation grounds me even as mythoughts swirl in a chaotic mess. The warmth of Finn’s presence next to me is comforting, but it doesn’t stop the ache in my chest, the strange pull low in my belly that seems to have a life of its own.

It’s not just the pre-heat. It’s deeper than that, something I can’t name or understand. And it feels wrong—so wrong—because I shouldn’twantanything. Not after everything I’ve taken already.

I glance at the window again, my heart giving a little jolt when I see Stone move past it. He’s far away now, near the treeline, doing something to the light mounted on the corner of the house. His movements are careful, but there’s a tension to him, his broad shoulders set tight, like he’s carrying the weight of the world.

I don’t know why I can’t stop watching him.

Finn doesn’t push me. He just watches me quietly, his presence steady and patient. It’s one thing I’ve come to rely on about him—how he never forces me to talk, never presses when I’m not ready.

But right now, his silence feels heavier, like he’s waiting.

Finally, he shifts, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re restless,” he says, his tone light but knowing.

I flinch slightly, my fingers tightening around the pillow. “I’m fine,” I say quickly, but the words feel hollow even to me.

Finn tilts his head, his gray eyes sharp as they study me. “Hailey,” he says gently, “talk to me. What’s going on?”

I shake my head, my throat tightening. I don’t know how to explain it—this strange, overwhelming feeling that’s been growing inside me all day.

But Finn does.

He shifts closer, his knee brushing against mine, and the scent of him—clean, soft, grounding—wraps around me like a tether. “You’re feeling it, aren’t you?” he asks, his voice low and careful.

I glance at him sharply, my heart pounding. “Feeling what?”

Finn exhales softly, his hand coming to rest on mine, still clutching the pillow. “The pull,” he says simply. “It’s normal,Hailey. Your pre-heat is building, and your body…it’s starting to crave things.”

My cheeks burn, and I look away. His words are hitting a little too close to the truth. “I don’t?—”

“It’s okay,” he says quickly, cutting me off before I can deny it. “You don’t have to be ashamed. It’s your instincts, Hailey. They’re trying to guide you.”

I swallow hard, forcing my pulse to stop racing. “But I don’t even know what I want,” I whisper.

Finn’s thumb brushes softly over the back of my hand, his voice dropping to a soothing murmur. “I think you do,” he says. “You just don’t know how to ask for it yet.”

His words send a rush of heat through my body, and I pull my hand away, curling it into a fist in my lap. “I don’t,” I say firmly, though my voice trembles. “I can’t…I can’t want anything. Not after everything you’ve done for me, Finn. It feels…wrong.”

Finn is quiet for a moment, his hand still resting lightly on my knee. Finally, he sighs, leaning back against the wall. “I get it. Trust me, I do. I know it’s scary,” he says softly.

I nod. But his words leave something unspoken hanging between us, something I can’t ignore.

“You said you were leaving.”

Finn stiffens slightly, eyes narrowing. “Hailey?—”

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